This invention relates to a fuel injector used in a burner section of a gas turbine engine. More particularly, this invention relates to a fuel nozzle that produces a skewed fuel spray pattern.
Each successive generation of gas turbine engine typically represents a marked improvement over the earlier generations. Various factors, such as environmental impact and perceived customer requirements, help spur the improvements in a new generation of engine. A burner section of the engine, where the combustion of the fuel occurs, is no exception to the need for improvement.
A designer must consider many factors when developing the next generation burner section of a gas turbine engine. Such factors include fuel/air ratio operating range, smoke-free temperature rise capability, lean blow out, NOx emissions, stability, complexity, weight and cost. Up to this point, a solution that benefited one factor may have been a significant detriment to another factor. For example, a designer might consider using a double annular combustor rather than a single annular combustor to increase the operating range of the fuel/air ratio and to improve lean blow out. However, such a solution impacts other factorsxe2x80x94namely weight, complexity and cost.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved burner section of a gas turbine engine.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved fuel injector within the burner section.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved fuel nozzle within the fuel injector.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved primary fuel circuit within the fuel nozzle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fuel nozzle that exhibits an improvement in one or more characteristics of the engine without significantly impacting any of the other characteristics of the engine.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fuel nozzle that improves lean stability.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fuel nozzle capable of increasing the temperature rise capability of the combustion chamber.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fuel nozzle that exhibits a lower fuel/air ratio at lean blowout, and provides a higher operating range.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in one aspect by a fuel nozzle, comprising: an inlet for receiving fuel; and an outlet for discharging fuel. The outlet intersects the longitudinal centerline of the nozzle and produces a skewed spray pattern.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in another aspect by a fuel injector, comprising: a fuel nozzle having an outlet for discharging fuel; and a swirler adjacent the fuel nozzle. The swirler discharges a fluid concentric with the outlet of the fuel nozzle. The fluid discharged from the swirler produces a crescent-shaped spray pattern in the fuel discharged from the fuel nozzle.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in another aspect by a burner section of a gas turbine engine, comprising: a combustion chamber; and a plurality of fuel injectors for providing fuel to said combustion chamber. At least one of the fuel injectors produces a skewed flame pattern in the combustion chamber that overlaps with a flame pattern from an adjacent fuel injector.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in another aspect by a method of improving stability of a flame in a burner section of a gas turbine engine. The method comprises the steps of: providing a plurality of fuel injectors; supplying fuel to the fuel injectors so that at least one of the fuel injectors produces a skewed flame pattern in the burner section, the skewed flame pattern creating a fuel non-uniformity in the burner section; and overlapping the skewed flame pattern with a flame pattern of an adjacent fuel injector.